My One and Only | BrightWin | 2gether AU

103 - Only Friends?

Tine's POV

"Hey Mil, wassup?" I asked. It was unusual for him to call me.

"I wanted to thank you for bringing me home from the party. The beer chugging contest was a bad idea, and one that will not be on my to-do ever again.

I'm sorry you had to drag my sorry ass all the way" he said.

I chuckled. "No problem, man. I've had a lot of practice in this area with Wat. You were no trouble at all."

Mil laughed warmly. "I would have called you yesterday itself, but I was grounded by my mom. No laptop, no phone, no stepping out. I believe you met her when she let you in that night?"

"Oh yikes! I didn't know your parents were home. That's rough. Hope she wasn't too mad though. You're the son that everyone hopes they have" I said, smiling.

"Yeah well, there were some choice words and I was banished to my room. I know it sounds ridiculous. I'll be eighteen in a few months, and I still get grounded" sighed Mil.

"Nah, I'm glad you have parents who care about you enough no matter how old you are" I said.

"You're the only person I know who can see the positive in anything. And you do it so effortlessly" said Mil, his voice warm.

"You give me way too much credit. I was just stating facts" I smiled.

"Uhmm... I have been wanting to ask you for a while now, but I've never had the guts to do it. We haven't exactly spoken a lot, even though we share a bunch of classes.

Would you like to go out with me sometime?" said Mil. I could sense the hesitation and nervousness in his voice.

It must have taken him courage to ask me out. To the best of my knowledge, he hadn't revealed his sexuality before.

I had come out to my family two years ago when I turned fifteen. Girls didn't make me feel a certain way that boys did.

Well, one particular boy.

But that boy didn't like me back the same way, and I had accepted it from the start.

It was just reinforced after Friday night. The kiss that had kept me awake these last two nights had failed to so much as register in his memory.

Maybe it was time I experienced the world of dating too. I had never been on one. And that was just sad for a seventeen year old to say.

"Tine, you there? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or weird you out" said Mil, trepidation and disappointment coating his words.

"I'm here. I would really like that. How about pizza tonight?" I said softly. My heart felt heavy, but I felt relieved somehow.

Maybe this was what letting go was about.

"That's... I mean... You have no idea how happy I am right now. Shall I pick you up at 6? There's a fair by the riverside. I've heard it's nice. We could check that out before we have dinner" said Mil. I could hear the joy and excitement in his voice.

"That sounds great. I'll see you then" I said and cut the call.

I would give Mil and myself a fair chance. But I wouldn't string him along for convenience if I felt sure that we would never be more than just friends.

I hadn't seen Wat since he went home after lunch the previous day. And he hadn't called all day.

Sundays at the Guntithanons were family days. His mom worked fourteen hours a day, six days a week. This was the one day that she could spend time with her sons.